Handgrip for firearms



Feb 2L 1933.

E. E. HEss T AL HANDGRIP FOR FIREARMS Filed May 25, 1930 M s, BY IelzPyJ-Fzppnu'i.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2l, i933 Ulti? Sifiil EMIL E. HESS AND HENRY J'. FARRANT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA HANDGRIP FOR FIREARIVIS Appncation mea May 26,

rlhis invent-ion relates to the handle or grip of a firearm such as a pistol or revolver; and

has for an object to provide a grip of such contour that a natural grasp in the hand with 5 the forefinger extending forwardly in natural position for engaging the trigger will substantially aline the barrel of the weapon with the hand and forearm without twisting the wrist.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a grip having abutments adapted for engagement by the fingers so as to prevent tilting or twisting of the weapon in the hand.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a revolver provided with the improved grip.

F ig. 2 is a rear elevation of the grip.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the opposite side of the grip.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a usual revolver, although it will be apparent that the improved grip is equally applicable to other types of small arms, pistols for` example, which have a handle adapted to be grasped in the hand with the forefinger extended for engaging the trigger. The illustrated embodiment shows the improved grip replacing the usual handle of a revolver and mounted on the original frame of the weapon, although the improved handle may be as readily formed as an integral part of the stock of the firearm.

Referring to the illustrated embodiment the revolver comprises usual barrel l and frame 2 for the handle, with the operating parts including usual cylinder lzL and trigger 2a. The usual handle for such a weapon follows the contour of its frame 2 which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and the front surface of the handle extends upwardly and is curved along the line of recess A of the frame and terminates at its lower end in 1930. Serial No. 455,497.

alinement with the butt B of the frame, with said front surface of the handle of just sufficient length to be gripped by three fingers of the hand with the upper of said fingers, i. e. the middle nger, fitting snugly in recess A. With the middle finger thus fitting snugly in recess A and the forefinger engaging the trigger in usual manner, the wrist must be twisted downwardly to an unnatural strained position in order to aline barrel l with the forearm7 due to the fact that the recess A which receives the middle finger curves upwardly to a point above the aXis C of the usual curved finger contacting surface of the trigger.

To overcome such unnatural twisting of the wrist the present invention provides a handle of such contour as to substantially aline barrel l with the forearm and hand when the forefinger is in natural forwardly projecting position. For this purpose the handle 8 has a front surface which at its upper end curves forwardly to form a recess 4 spaced below the curve A of the usual frame so that `the highest point of said recess is substantially horizontally alined with aXis C of the curved surface of trigger 2a, and the front surface of the handle being thus shortened at its upper end, the lower end of the handle is correspondingly extended below the butt B of the frame as shown at 3a, in order that the full width of three fingers of the hand may still grip the handle. By thus lowering the recess L at the upper end of the handle, the grasp of the hand on handle 3 is appreciably lower-ed so that the forefinger projects forwardly in a natural position to engage the trigger without the necessity of downwardly twisting the wrist in order to maintain alinement of barrel l with the forearm. The handle thus provides a natural and accurate grip for the weapon.

rl`he handle also provides for preventing sagging thereof in the hand as a result of kick or recoil of the weapon when fired. For

defined this purpose the rear surface of handle 3, instead of following the contour of frame 2 at the usual vertical abutment at the upper end of the frame, preferably forms a gradually rearwardly and upwardly curving abutment 5 at the upper edge of the handle and in such position that with the thumb and forefinger extending in usual manner around the respective sides of the handle, the flesh at the junction of the forefinger and thumb, curving around and gripping the back -of the handle, will fit under the curved overhanging surface 5JL of the abutment 5 as shown in Figs. l and 3, and the overhanging f abutment by thus resting upon said portion of the hand prevents vertical tilting of the firearm as a result of the handle sagging in the hand from recoil of the weapon, and thereby maintains the proper grip for engaging the middle finger in the lowered recess l so as to insure alinement of barrel l with the forearm and hand Without twisting the wrist. l

rl`he handle may also be constructed so'as to prevent lateraltwisting of the weapon in the hand, and for this purpose abutments at the sides of the handle are adapted for impingement by the thumb and foreinger re spectively, with the thumb adapted to rest jupon a laterally projecting abutment, and

the forefinger underlying and engaged by a laterally overhanging abutment 7.

The abutment 6 curves forwardly and slightly upwardly across the handle 3 adjacent its upper end and in such spaced relation above recess l as to position said abutment for resting of the thumb thereon when the thumb is in natural gripping position as shown in Fig. l. The abutment preferably merges into the side of the handle at its rear end as shown in Fig. 2, and as it extends forwardly and slightly upwardly across the handle the abutment increasingly projects laterally from the handle so as to form a well abutment terminating abruptly above recess 4, and above and below said abutment the surface thereof preferably curves gradually so as to merge into the side of the handle as shown in Fig. 2, with the upper surface 6a of theabutment forming a substantial rest for the thumb so as to prevent twisting of the weapon in the hand in a clock-wise direction asviewed in Fig. 2, and the surface 6EL by merging upwardly into the vertical surface of the handle, with no lateral projection from said side of the handle above the supporting surface 6a, adapting the thumb for ready positioning for support upon said supporting surfaceirrespec tive of variations in the size of the thumbs of different users.

' The abutment 7 at the opposite side of the handle forms a continuation of abutment 5 and slopes downwardly across the handle and vmerges at its forward end into the side of the handle as shown in Fig. 3, and forms an overhanging surface 7a curving inwardly and downwardly to meet the side of the handle as shown in Fig. 2, and adapted for engagement by both the inner side and the upper surface of the forenger extending along the side of the handle toward the trigger. The forefinger thus underlies abutment 7 and is adapted for vertical impingement against surface 7, so that the abutment provides additional means for preventing lateral twisting of the weapon in the aforementioned clock-wise direction, and the surface 7a is forwardly and downwardly inclined at such angle as to insure alinement of the foreinger with the trigger of the firearm.

The abutments 6-7 thus cooperate to prevent lateral twisting of the weapon in one direction, and usual abutment of the middle and two smaller fingers against the rightliand side of the handle as viewed in Fig. 2, prevents lateral twisting of the weapon in the opposite direction. The fire arm is thus positively held against twisting in the hand as a result of employment of the lateral abutment, and the abutmentY 7 by the forward slope thereof as shown in Fig. 3, also provides a guide for the forefinger for properly alining the foreinger with the trigger.

The improved handle thus provides a natural grip for the hand with the barrel l adapted for substantially straight alinement with the hand and forearm when the forenger is in natural position for engaging Vthe trigger; and the improved construction also provides abutments adapted for impingement by the fingers for preventing vertical or lateral twisting of the weapon in the hand, with ksaid abutments separately and collectively assisting in maintaining the desired natural position of the forenger. In

vother words the forefinger is primarily proping its highest point in horizontal alinement with the medial portion of the vertical length of the trigger,whereby the barrelis adapted for alinement with Ythe hand and forearm without bendingv the wrist when theforelinger and thumb project forwardly at opposite sidesof the handle for engagement of the trigger by the forefinger and the remaining Y three fingers grip the handle with the middle linger fitting snugly against the upper surface of said recess, the upper end of the rear surface of the handle having a rearward protuberanee adapted for upward and forward abutment by the lesh of the hand at the junction of the orenger and thumb, 5 the upper end of one side of the handle forming a lateral protuberance adapted` for upward abutment by the forefnger so as to guide said forenger into alinement with the trigger, and the upper end of the opposite side of the handle forming a lateral protuberance adapted for downward abutment by the thumb.

In testimony whereof we have aXed our` signatures. EMIL E. HESS.

HENRY J. FARRANT. 

